Key for time-pieces



(No Model.)

M. BOCK.

KEY FOR TIME PIECES.

Patented Oct. '7, 1890.

ca.. narra-mm1. wnsmncn'on. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

MARTIN BOOK, OF HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA.

KEY FOR TIME-PIECES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,965, dated October '7, 1890.

Application filed October 9, 1889.

To all whom t may concern.-

Beit known that I, MARTIN BOOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hazleton, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Winding Mechanism for Time-Pieces, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to that class of winding mechanisms for time-pieces shown, described, and claimed in my United States Patent No. 405,004, granted June ll, 1889.

The present improvement comprises a new arrangement of the clutch and a new form of detent.

The invention consists of a spindle adapted to be connected to the device to be acted upon-say the arbor of a mainspring or the spindle of a stem-winding mcehanisma friction-block carried by said spindle, and a pushpiece disconnected from such friction-block and adapted to be engaged with it and to be disengaged from it, as presently described; and the invention also consists of a key for' time-pieces, having a spindle or pipe rotatable in either direction, and provided with a slide, combined with a handle in which the pipe or spindle is arranged, constructed with a notch into which the slide is adapted to be inserted, in order to lock the spindle or pipe and cause it to rotate with the handle, and from which notch the slide may be detached, so as to permit the spindle or pipe to rotate independently of the handle and under control of a friction device interposed between the handle and the spindle or pipe.

The invention also consists of details of construction, as presently described and claimed.

In the acompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, in the several figures of which like part-s are similarly designated, Figure l is an elevation, and Fig. 2 a vertical section, of a watch-key, the former showing the detent free of the handle and the latter showing it engaged with the handle. Fig. 3 is an elevation, and Fig. 4 a vertical section, of a clock-key, the former showing the detent disconnected and the latter showing it connected relatively to the handle. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the operating mechanism of a stem-winding watch. Fig. 6 is a perspee Serial No. 326,362. (No model.)

tive view of the nut used forV holding the spindle in place' in the stem-Winder, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the clutch-retaining device of the stein-Winder.

Referring to the watch-key of Figs. 1 and 2, I employ a handle a, having a checkered surface b, in order to permit the workman to grasp it firmly, and also having a tapering upper portion c; d is a spindle or pipe, the lower end of which is adapted to engage an arbor in any usual manner and the upper end of which is provided with a friction-block e, preferably of hard wood, which is fitted to the tapering portion c of the handle. Within the upper portion of the handle is arranged a push-piece f, adapted to be pressed down upon the upper surface of the friction-block e to force said friction-block into frictional contact with the handle, in order to control the rotation of the spindle or pipe. The lower portion of the spindle or pipe is made tubular, and is provided with a slide g, which may be split, so as to be more or'less elastic, and thereby hold itself in given position by its spring-contact with the walls of the tubular portion of the lower portion of the pipe in which it is arranged. This slide is provided with a pin or other projecting portion h, extending through a slot c' in the pipe or spindle outside of the same and beyond the surrounding handle. A notch j is made in the handle, and into this notch the pin h is adapted to be moved, so as to lock the spindle or pipe and the handle and prevent the. independent rotation of the spindle or pip'ef' The two parts will be thus en`- and handle. gaged when the key is used to wind a watch.' When, however, the key is to be used to let down a spring, then the pin h is disengaged from the notch, as in Fig. l, and the spindle or pipe is-thus free to rotate independently of the handle; but the rotation of thespindle or pipe at such time will be governed by the pressure of the pushpieee f upon the frictionblock e, and consequently upon the engagement of such friction-block acting as a friction-clutch upon the walls of the handle at c. The slide g, its pin h, and the notch in the end of the handle constitii'te what I herein call a detent.

The clock-key shown in Figs. 3 and 4. has

IOO

dered portion of the spindle and prevent the jescape of thesaid spindle.

the same sort of detent as the watch-key, and accordingly I have designated the parts constituting such detent by the same letters as those applied to the detent in Figs. l and 2. An operator upon clocks needs alarger and stron ger instrument for hiswork than a watchmaker, and I proportion my parts accordingly. The handle k of the clock-key is made tapering and receives within it a friction-block, which is made fast to the pipe. inasmuch 'as the spindle or pipe and the friction-block thereof in the clock-key are of substantially the same construction as these parts in the watch-key,` I have designated them by the same letters. The handle 7c of the clock-key is provided with a movable push-piece f, differing fro'mthe push-piece in the watch-key in being a metallic shell, and having its surface checkered, as shown in Fig. 3. This push-piece is made hollow, in order to 'save weight-'f-that is to say, in order not to make the'clock.ke`y unduly heavy. The push-piece is connected to the handle k by means of a spring'l, whose ends are fitted indiame'tric'- ally-opposite holes in the handle k and extend into slots m in the push-piece. This spring' aords not only a secure fastening for the push-piece and handle, but admits of the very ready connection of the parts and also of equally ready disconnection. Thespindle d in the clock-key is extended above the frictionblock to form a guide for a block or tube it, whichis interposed between the friction-block e and thepushpiece f, in Vorder to transmit the pressure'upon the push-piece to the'fric-Y tion-block. A spring yo is interposed between the bottom of the friction-block e and the handle, inorder to automatically'disengage the -frictioiiblo`ck from the handle when pressure lupon the push-piece is released. Itis obviousthat the push piece, its connection with the handle, and also its connection with the friction-block7 as shown in the case of the watch key, might be applied equally well to the clock-key, andso also the construction of these parts shown in the clock-key might be applied to the watch-key.

With respect to the stem-windingmechanism for watches, it will be observed that the spindle p, which is connected with the train ofA gearing in vany usual manner, passes :through the pendant r, and is detachablyconnected therewith by means of the spring-nut s, y having inturned lips s engaging a shoulderedportionp of the spindle. The said nut has a vs'crevv-threaded portion :s2 engaging the sere wf-threaded portion of the pendant. This nut is so constructed at opposite ends that when inserted inthe pendant its inturned ends sv Serve as springs to engage the shoul- The spindle is provided with an attached friction-block, which I again designate e, because of its similarity in construction and function to the friction-block so designated in the case of the watch-key and the clock-key. The crown t is provided with a conical recess to receive the friction-block, and the said friction-block is held within the said conical recess by means of a spring u sprung into a groove inside the said crown.

Obviously, in order to wind the watch downward pressure must be exerted upon the crown to cause the said crown to bite upon the friction-block and thereby cause the said friction-block and its attached spindle to rotate with it the said crown. Should the rotation of the crown be continued after the spring is wound, then the said crown will simply slip upon the friction-block and the latter and the spindle would thereby remain stationary, and thereby undue strain will not be applied to the spring or stem'wind wheels. l Without attemptingo'r intending to define the scope of my patent before referredV to,- I wish to say that structurally thel invention herein described differs from the specific forln of invention illustrated in the drawingsof the said patent in the particulars following, namely: In this invention the friction-block is carried by the spindle or pipe,` and bears against the handle without an intervening medium-that is to say, the friction-elutchin this invention is composed of a friction-'block on the spindle or pipe and the handle itself. The push-piece by which the friction-block is operated is detached from the frictionrblock or clutch and covers in or incloses the said friction-block.' Respecting the stem-Winder, it will be" 0bserved that the crown su'bserves the double function of a handle and a push-piece. i'

The fastening for the stemfofthestemwinding watch shown'in Fig. 5 is one con1- monly employed in pendant-set stem-winders; but obviously my invention is not coniined to that particular fastening, nor to any other 'fastening`,`so long as the stem has longitudinal movement. In the `case of the stem- Winder the friction-block may be made of steel and the crown of brass, orother materials may be used for these parts.

The groove for receiving the spring VVu,'or, more properly, the spring-washer, ismade wide enough to compensate for wear of the friction-block.

l. The combination, substantially Yas set forth, ina winding'and unwinding'device of the character described, of a casing, a spindle rotatable within said casing and Aadapted to be connected to the device to be acted upon, a friction-block affixed to said spindle and movable and rotating with it, and a pushpiece freely movable independently of said friction-block and disconnected from it, but concealing it, and adapted to be engagedfwith IOO IIO

it and to be disengagedfrom it by movement in thev direction of the length of the spindle, thereby to control the rotary movement of the spindle, as fastV or slow, and stop it' entirely, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A key for time-pieces, comprising a handle, a pipe or spindle, and a friction-clutch interposed between the pipe or spindle and the handle, and a detent composed of a slide arranged in the spindle or pipe and adapted to be engaged with and disconnected from a notch in the handle, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A key for time-pieces, comprising a handle, a pipe or spindle arranged in said handle, a friction-block interposed between the spindle and handle and rigidly affixed to the spindle and movable with the spindle, a spring o, interposed between the friction-block and the handle,beneath the said friction-block, and a push-piece arranged at the other side of the I 5 nect the said friction-block, combined Withzo the spring Z for connecting the push-piece and the handle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of October, A. D. 1889.

MARTIN BOOK. Witnesses:

PHILIP V. WEAVER, EDWARD HAUSKNECHT. 

